Business case study confirms light rail gains

CAR travel times between Broadbeach and Burleigh will blow out by about 30 per cent by 2041 and congestion costs quadruple unless governments agree to fund light rail.

Australia’s independent infrastructure adviser has completed a “rigorous” review of the business case on Light Rail Stage 3A and concluded there were “significant benefits to the community”.

The 6.7km extension of track south, which will cost $701 million, was yesterday added to four new priority projects for Queensland.

In a shock finding, the light rail business case found a bus rapid transit option was more expensive and a poorer performer to the trams.

“The proponent has estimated that the cost of congestion for the Broadbeach to Burleigh Heads corridor is $38 million per year in 2018, increasing to $145 million per year by 2041,” the Infrastructure Australia report said.

Car travel times from Burleigh to Broadbeach are expected to remain relatively stable because the completed upgrades to the Pacific Motorway will offset traffic growth.

“However, car travel times for journeys from Burleigh Heads to Southport and Gold Coast University Hospital are expected to worsen more rapidly outside the direct project corridor,” it said.

“Road congestion to the north of Broadbeach south appears to be influenced by trips

starting within corridor.”

The business case found the main problem with the two existing bus services in the corridor – route 700 and route 777 – was their reliability.

“On average, approximately 83 per cent of route 700 services run on time and 85 per cent of route 777 services run on time – no more than two minutes early or six minutes late.

“During the afternoon peak period this reduces to 67 per cent for route 700 and 54 per cent for route 777 as road congestion increases. In comparison, over 99 per cent of light rail services run on time,” the report said.

Infrastructure Australia chief executive Romilly Madew told the Bulletin: “(Our) assessment of the business case for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3A found the total benefits of the project to be

the

project close to its total costs. We identified two key factors that are critical to delivering value for money – land use changes to promote urban renewal and increase density in surrounding areas, and encouraging more residents to leave the car at home and use the light rail instead.”

But governments and the council must encourage more people to use Stage 3A because it runs through a less densely populated area than Stage 1 from Broadbeach to Parklands and Stage 2 to Helensvale.

Apart from concerns about passengers moving from buses to trams and a shift in general to public transport, Infrastructure Australia questioned the business case’s forecast for urban renewal in the corridor.

An extra 28,000 people will be living between Broadbeach and Burleigh by 2041, the report says.

“The level of urban renewal that can be achieved from the project will be critical in achieving the benefits of the project, and returning economic, social and environmental value beyond its costs,” the report said.

If all the proposed land use changes occur, urban congestion on the southern Coast would increase once the project was completed.

The project was being planned in an integrated manner to hook-up with existing bus services to new interchanges.

Council officers expect a funding deal between the Commonwealth, State and council will be signed off before Christmas.